Why Block Schedule?

Here at La Cueva we obviously go by the block schedule: A days on Monday and Wednesday, B-Days on Tuesday and Thursday, then C days on Friday. But why is this? Was this was a good decision for the school? The answer is yes.

The block schedule is a method to maximize learning. It provides more time in class so that students can focus on one thing for an extended period of time. For example, I was struggling with an English class assignment. The teacher was busy with helping out other students, so I had to wait my turn to get his attention. This was near the end of class that day, and if we hadn’t had the time we did in class, I would not have received the help I needed.

Not having every class every day also relieves stress for students. Students don’t get bombarded with homework every single day. They can spend one day on half their classes, and one day on another. Grant Hendrickson, freshman, said “I like the block schedule. You don’t have every class every day. It cuts the stress in half.”

Emma Tasker, sophomore, also expresses her liking for the block schedule. “I love it because you have an extra day to do homework. Also, if you like one of your teachers, you get to be in their class for a longer period of time!”

Desert Ridge, a middle school that funnels most of its students to La Cueva, does not use the block schedule. These students attend six periods every day. Some people are in favor of this method. “I don’t like the block schedule. C days are nice because a lot of the day is just spent in passing periods,” said Colton Snelling, freshman.

This did not prove to be a very popular opinion, however, as only two out of ten students I talked to would rather not be using the block schedule. The advantages of only going to half of the scheduled classes per day overwhelm the disadvantages.

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2 thoughts on “Why Block Schedule?”

A block schedule is the best way possible to organize class time. The greater amount of time allows teachers to teach more and get more done with the students. I know that in 5th period we always have to rush because there is not much time to finish the lesson and asks questions. It is also much easier for students. My backpack is lighter since I only have to carry half as many notebooks and textbooks. It’s also easier for me to finish all my homework because I know I have an extra day to complete it.

C days feel rushed to me now. However, I also wonder whether there are some subjects that lend themselves to extended time, yet others that are better suited to daily practice. For example, do the students who attend foreign language or math class daily learn more than those who attend only three times a week?